Delicate
by Jace'sAngel
Summary: Clary gets sick, and Jace freaks out because he's never experienced one of the Nephilim being sick. Not only is it no longer a oneshot, but I have an idea for the plot! Rated T for fluffiness.
1. Chapter 1

**A/N:** So, basically, I was having some writer's block on my other story, and I decided to write this. Tell me if you like it :)

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Jace awoke with a start, Clary's name on his lips in an unspoken shout. Panting, sweat pouring down his face, he ran a hand through his golden hair and squeezed his eyes shut. Something was wrong. He _felt_ it, but he didn't know what it was.

The twin sized bed creaked as he stood, making his way hazily to the door of his bedroom. The handle clicked deafeningly in the silence of the room.

_Clary_, Jace thought suddenly, _Something's wrong with Clary._

He stumbled out of the room and down the long dark hallway of the Institute.

Clary's name was the only thought running through Jace's mind. He had to get to her, had to figure out what was making his stomach churn, and sweat break out on his palms. _Something_ was wrong, and he had to find her.

The light of the bathroom across from the room Clary was staying in was on, and soft yellow light streamed out between the thinly carpeted floor and the bottom edge of the door.

Clary was in there. Jace knew it; he _felt_ it, felt her presence. His gut clenched at the thought of how he would find her.

She was crouched over the toilet seat, her small shoulders shaking. Her fingers clutched the edge of the seat so tightly her knuckles were turning white. She trembled, dry heaving, then she whimpered, a high-pitched pained sound.

Jace gave a short gasp, rushing to her side and falling to his knees next to her. "Clary," his voice sounded frantic, not the way he had intended for it to be, but the way he felt right then. "Clary, what happened?" He laid his hand carefully on her shoulder. He felt as though if he touched her she might break. When the only response she gave him was another barely audible whimper, he laid a hand on her forehead, letting his other arm snake around her waist. She fell back against his chest and began coughing, her tiny hands gripping at his t-shirt. Jace pulled her shivering body tighter against him, "Clary, look at me," the frantic tone of his voice had unintentionally turned to pure panic. He didn't know what was happening to her, why she was pale and clammy, quaking in his arms. This had never happened to him or Alec or Isabelle before. Why wouldn't she say something, _anything_, which would let him know what this was?

Jace pushed a stray red curl away from her damp forehead. "Clary," he begged, "please, look at me." The only time he had ever seen someone feverish and coughing like this was as a result of demon poisoning. But there was no way she could have been hurt…

Clary glanced up at him, her green eyes momentarily meeting his golden ones. He whispered her name, over and over, until her eyelids fluttered closed and she fell limp in his embrace.

An image of Alec laying half dead in the infirmary flashed trough Jace's mind. And then an alternate image where not Alec, but Clary lay in the same position. The sound of her screaming filled his ears, even though she was unconscious in his arms. Jace's heart raced, his chest contracting painfully at the thought of her in so much pain. He leaned back against the bathroom wall, still holding her, flinching when she did.

Her eyelids fluttered again. "Clary," Jace whispered, "What's going on?" He stroked her cheek, desperate for an answer, desperate to know what he could so to ease the pain she was in, pain he didn't even know what the cause was.

She coughed, struggling to sit up in his lap, but he clutched her to him so she couldn't move. "Jace," she questioned softly, her voice scratchy and weak, "I – I'm okay – " she began coughing again, doubling over and clutching her stomach. Jace wanted to cry, watching her. He couldn't stand seeing her in pain, but he didn't know what he could _do_. He could only hold her and rub her back, whispering soothingly in her ear.

Then she jumped out of his arms and leaned back over the toilet seat, and threw up. Then she was dry heaving again; whimpering and miserable. It was all Jace could do not to grab her by her shoulders and scream at her, beg her to tell him what was wrong, what he could do to end her pain. He stood on his knees behind her, rubbing her back and pressing short kisses to her bare shoulders.

"Clary," he tried again, "Please, please tell me what's going on."

Her body stopped convulsing long enough for her to whisper, "Jace," before she threw up again. She winced, and wiped her mouth on a towel that hung on the rack by the toilet. Then she turned around and leaned into Jace's chest, her breathing erratic. He brushed his hands over her cheeks, holding her face in his hands and forcing her to look at him.

"Tell me," he ordered gently, "Talk to me, Clary," his voice broke.

"Jace," she whispered again, her green eyes unable to focus completely on him, "I – I'm just sick," she leaned her head on his shoulder, forcing his hands to fall away from her. She pressed her face between his neck and his collar and coughed, once. Her skin burned against his. "It hurts," she whispered. "Jace, please, make it stop."

Jace let out a moan he had been holding in since he first saw her in the bathroom. He didn't know _how_ to make it stop! He couldn't help her, because he didn't _know_ what was going on. She was hurting, and there was _nothing_ he could do.

Clary twisted her fingers tighter into his t-shirt, shivering.

"What's going on in there?" Jocelyn's voice sounded outside the bathroom door. "Is everything alright?" Slowly the mahogany door creaked open, and Clary's mother stood in a pool of yellow light in front of them.

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**A/N: **Cliffanger, I know. I was thinking it would only be a oneshot, but then I couldn't decide what should happen next. There might possibly be a chapter two. Not sure yet.

Sorry if it sucked, but, Review? :)


	2. Chapter 2

**A/N:** I wrote chapter two! Only because you guys are so amazing with your reviews, and I just couldn't refuse to continue :D

I skipped the whole part in between when Jocelyn walks into the bathroom, up until they get Clary to bed, mostly because I couldn't think of what might happen during that time.

Oh, and just so you know, Clary is NOT pregnant! She's just allergic to... you'll find out what ;)

Just as a warning, there is some fluff. This is my first time writing this kind of thing, so be nice, okay?

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Clary struggled to open her eyes against the bright white light glaring outside her eyelids. She hadn't really been sleeping for the last few hours, only falling in and out of hazy consciousness. She remembered getting up in the middle of the night, her stomach churning, and then intense stabbing pains through her abdomen to her chest as she threw up, and then dry heaved over the Lightwood's toilet.

Then Jace had been there, massaging her back and holding her hair out of her face. He had been talking to her the whole time, but Clary couldn't recall what he had said, only the urgent tone of his silky voice. She only remembered Jace holding her, and the pain in her stomach.

There were other flashes of memory: Jace's voice again, frantic; her mother's voice, comforting both of them; cold damp washcloths pressed against her forehead and the back of her neck.

Now, she could feel the cool cloth against the back of her neck still, but all the pain was gone.

Clary forced her eyes open, squinting against the light. Warm fingers laced with hers, squeezing her hand.

"Clary?" Jace's voice, soft and tentative, questioned her. His free hand traced over her forehead, tucking a stray red curl behind her ear. "How are you feeling?" His voice wavered, as if he wanted to say something else but couldn't.

Clary focused her gaze on his face. Jace's golden eyes met hers, and she saw everything he was feeling reflected in their depths. Panic, fear, pain. Love. He laid his hand on her cheek, waiting for her answer.

"I'm okay," she tried to say, but her voice ended up as barely a whisper.

Jace leaned over her until their foreheads touched and closed his eyes. "You were sick all last night," his warm breath cascaded over her face. "Jocelyn says it's because you had an allergic reaction to something you ate." Jace pressed his lips softly to hers. "It scared me," he admitted in a whisper quieter than her own. "I've never seen anyone that sick, except as a reaction to demon poisoning. I thought you – " his voice broke. He pressed another rougher kiss to her lips to make up for the unspoken words, _'I thought you were dying.' _Clary felt the meaning; all of his emotion poured into her body through his kiss.

Clary moved her hand to run through Jace's golden curls. "I'm sorry," she whispered against his mouth, her voice still hoarse. It was the only thing she could think of to say.

Jace moved his face away from hers far enough so that his eyes met her green ones. "Don't be sorry, Clary," he ran his thumb along her cheek bone. "How could it possibly be your fault for being sick?" He smiled, but it was tense and didn't reach his eyes.

Clary returned his gesture, frowning at the dark half-circles under his eyes. Jace closed his eyes when she traced her fingers over his forehead, meaning to smooth out the tense creases there. "What am I allergic to?" she wondered. She couldn't remember being allergic to anything in her days as a mundane. There had been those horrible cases of the flu, and then the chicken pox, but no allergies.

"Jocelyn wasn't sure," Jace leaned down to kiss Clary once again, more forcefully. "She thinks maybe it was the oysters Izzy bought for dinner. Have you ever had oysters before?"

Jace continued to kiss her, settling himself next to her on the twin sized bed, his arm draped over her side. His closeness made it hard for Clary to think. "I – I don't think I've ever had oysters before," she was getting her voice back slowly, and she no longer sounded like she was struggling to get the words out.

"That's what Jocelyn said," Jace told her between the kisses he had begun trailing down her jaw and across her collarbone. "That you hadn't had them before and wouldn't know you were allergic. It's a good thing she was up in the middle of the night too," Jace paused, as if unwilling to explain further. But then he continued, lowering the tone of his voice until his words were barely audible, "I panicked. I didn't know… didn't know what was happening to you. If your mother hadn't been there… I – you – " he laid his head against her chest, running his hand through her fiery tangles.

"Jace," Clary wanted to comfort him, but she wasn't really sure how to, "you didn't know. Don't blame yourself. I'm fine now." She laced her fingers into the silky curls at the nape of his neck.

"I know," he mumbled into her tank-top. "But," he looked up at her, "promise me something?"

"Sure." She wondered what he could need her to promise.

"Don't get sick like that again." He sat up, leaning over her. "I don't want to wake up not knowing if you're okay."

Clary gave him a small smile, "I can try not to get unintentionally sick in the middle of the night ever again." she pulled him down to her until their lips touched. "And I won't ever eat oysters from now on," she promised.

"Good." Jace placed his hands on either side of her waist, balancing his body over hers as he leaned in to kiss her with everything he had.

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**A/N: **So, did you guys like this chapter as much as the last one? I hope so :D It was a lot harder to write because I don't have a clue where the plot-line is going!

Please tell me what you think. Reviews are loved ;D


	3. Chapter 3

**A/N:** This chapter is a little bit different that the first two. It's sort of fluffy in the begining, and then attempting to be funny in the end. I think there will be a plot, and I know where it's going. :) However it won't really start until chapter 4, (which I have already started writing!), but it will definately include more of Isabelle and Alec, and possibly Magnus. :D Jocelyn may not make any more appearances in the story, unless you guys think she should catch Jace and Clary making out somewhere? Please tell me what you think! :)

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They finally got up when Clary's stomach began growling. Jace didn't particularly want to leave their very comfortable position on the bed, but he didn't want Clary to be hungry either.

Church met them midway between Clary's room and the kitchen, yowling in a tone similar to the grating of nails on a chalkboard mixed with the screeches of a dying rabbit.

"What's wrong, Church?" Jace asked, "You sound like the Greater Demons might be attacking the Institute." He shook his head and raised his eyebrows at the blue-grey Persian, "They're not really attacking are they?" Jace internally questioned whether he had just jinxed something by saying that out loud, but decided against that rationale. Jace unintentionally pulled Clary tighter against his side.

Church huffed, his cat-eyes squinting accusingly up at them, and pranced back down the hallway towards the kitchens.

Clary and Jace followed, if only because that was where they were headed in the first place.

"Do you think everybody knows I was sick last night?" Clary asked, "Or just you and mom?"

"I've been with you all night." Jace's eyebrows furrowed as he tried to remember where Jocelyn had said she was going when she had left him with Clary in her room. "I don't know where Jocelyn went. She could have gone to tell Isabelle not to buy oysters again." Jace leaned over to press a quick kiss to Clary's temple, "Not that I won't be telling her the same thing."

"Oh, be nice to Izzy," Clary scolded gently, "She didn't know." She turned her head and met Jace's lips with her own, only for a short second.

Church's continued yowling broke them apart. The screeching noise came from inside the kitchen, and a returning yell of "Oh, shut up!" from Isabelle followed.

Jace swung the pale wood door of the expansive cream-colored cafeteria-like room open to find Isabelle perched on a metal stool next to the island in the center of the cooking area. Her elbows rested on the countertop, and her dark gaze lay on her whip, which sat coiled in the center of the island. She glanced up at them when the door creaked open, and Jace saw that her normally piercing black eyes were red with un-spilt tears.

"Clary!" Isabelle nearly jumped off of the stool, causing it to be knocked backwards about a foot. "Are you okay? How are you feeling? Jocelyn told me you were really sick last night. I'm so sorry! If there's anything I – "

"I'm fine Izzy!" Clary cut her off. "I was sick, but it was just an allergic reaction. Really, I'm okay." She smiled, the full perfect smile that made Jace want to press her against a wall and kiss her until neither of them could breathe. But he held himself back, only because Isabelle was right there.

"Okay," Isabelle smiled back at Clary, "I won't buy oysters again, I promise. I'd make you guys some breakfast, but…"

"I can make chocolate chip waffles," Jace provided.

"That's good," Isabelle gave Clary a quick hug, and then grabbed her whip off of the counter and flicked it neatly around her wrist, practically bouncing out of the echoic kitchen.

"So," Clary turned her smile on Jace, "you can make waffles?"

"_Chocolate chip_ waffles," Jace waggled his eyebrows at her. "Absolutely. You can help me mix the batter." He laid a hand on Clary's lower back and steered her farther into the kitchen, until they reached the capacious walk-in pantry. Jace opened the white door and stepped in, reaching for the things he needed; naming them and handing them to Clary one by one to set on the pink-crème colored counter. When Jace had found what he needed to make the waffles, he crouched and reached under one of the bottom shelves, wrestling his way through a mass of kitchen hardware to find the waffle-maker. He brought it out of the pantry with him, along with a large glass bowl and the mixer, and kicked the door shut behind him.

"Can I help?" Clary laid a petite hand on Jace's bare arm. "I don't know how to make waffles, but I can mix stuff, and – "

"I'll teach you how," Jace set the items he was carrying down on an empty portion of the counter and wrapped his arms around Clary's waist, moving her body between his and the edge of the counter. "Have you ever cooked anything before?"

"Yes," Clary's voice wavered, "But we used a recipe."

Jace shook with silent laughter, "When you're as absolutely magnificent as I am, you don't need a recipe." He poured the ingredients into the glass bowl, explaining each step to Clary by leaning over and murmuring in her ear. It was all he could do not to forget the waffles, and everything else, and just kiss her. By the time Jace had the batter read to be poured out of the bowl and into the waffle-maker, both of them were breathing unevenly, and Jace's hands quivered as he demonstrated for Clary how to pour enough of the batter into the waffle-maker to get a whole waffle, but not have batter drip down the side of the black metal contraption.

As soon as Jace had turned on the waffle-maker, he wheeled Clary around and pinned her body between his and the wall. "So," Jace questioned, his voice husky, his lips inches away from hers, "do you like making waffles?" His golden eyes smoldered, the white lights of the kitchen reflecting off of his irises and giving his eyes the appearance of gold flames.

Clary could barely breathe, let alone reply, but she managed a shaky, "Yes," before Jace's lips crashed down onto hers, neither of them able to resist the electricity forming between them any longer.

Clary tangled her thin fingers in Jace's curls, raising herself up on her tip-toes and deepening their kiss. Jace slid his arms around her waist, one hand resting on her lower back, the other gliding up along her spine to cup the back of her neck. Clary's soft mouth opened under his, letting his tongue trace along her bottom lip. Jace reached down and hooked Clary's leg over his hip, pressing her tiny body tighter against his. In that moment, nothing else existed but Jace and Clary. Only the feeling of Clary's delicate body against his and the crack of electricity between them occupied Jace's mind.

Church's yowling startled them out of their position. "What, Church?" Jace scowled down at the cat, involuntarily shielding Clary's body with his after hearing the antagonistic tone to the Persian's screeching. Suddenly it dawned on him: the smell of burning waffles.

There was actually smoke rising out of the black waffle-maker, and he was almost immediately aware of the smell of smoke filling the kitchen.

"Oh!" Clary was just as startled as he was. "Jace," she grimaced apologetically, "I'm sorry – "

"Not your fault," he mumbled distractedly, attempting to scrape the blackened waffle out of the waffle-maker with a spatula. The burned waffle refused to be scraped off of the black metal, and it was frustrating to no end. Jace couldn't believe he was incapable of scraping _burned waffle_ off of a piece of metal. He hated to admit it, but it _was_ embarrassing that Clary was watching the whole thing.

Alec decided to walk in right then. A takeout bag from Taki's hung off of his arm, and his cell-phone was held to his ear with his other hand. He caught sight of the still-smoking waffle-maker and Jace holding the spatula like he was about to kill someone with it, and burst out laughing. "Hold on a minute," he told the person on the other end of the phone, closing it and sliding it into the pocket of his black jeans. "What," he faced Jace, an amused grin spread across his face, "in the world are you _doing_?"

Clary giggled behind him. "We burned the waffles," she giggled again. She laid her hand between Jace's shoulder blades, "You look like you're going to kill someone with that thing," she sighed, "Put it down, Jace. We can wash it later."

"I _could_ kill someone with a spatula if I wanted to," Jace informed her, setting down the waffle maker. He pointed the spatula at Alec, "You shut up."

The grin left Alec's face, but he continued to shake with silent laughter. "Don't point that thing at me," he tilted his head in fake disapproval, "_I'm_ not the one who burned _waffles_. Until they started _smoking_."

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**A/N: **Sorry if the fluff went a little overboard, and the waffle thing was stupid. I was just feeling all fluffy inside because of the school dance last friday, and the fact that I've been reading Nora Roberts again. And then I ate some amazing chocolate-chip waffles and I figured it would be pretty cute if Jace made some for Clary.

Also, my best friend and I learned that people (at least, the people we know) have selective hearing. You see, if you are talking about your recent FanFiction post, and you say (very loudly), "Jace made Clary chocolate chip waffles," nobody even bothers to listen. But if you say (very quietly), "And then they made out in the kitchen," everyone within five feet of you turns to stare. It's actually really funny :)

Please tell me what you thought! Reviews are loved :D


	4. Chapter 4

**A/N:** Sorry it took so long to post this! I had a really difficult time writing this chapter, and I don't know why :C It's more of a transition into the next chapter than an actual addition to the storyline, so it's really long and (in my opinion) very boring.

I hope you like it anyways, though :)

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Clary moved between the two boys, laying her hand over Jace's where he held the spatula pointed threateningly towards Alec. Jace rolled his eyes at her, but lowered his arm.

"What food did you get?" Clary directed her attention to Alec and eyed the large takeout bag from Taki's. Without the waffles Jace had planned on making, she was starving. Especially because she had thrown up what she had eaten for dinner the night before.

"Everything." Alec gestured towards the paper bag with his free hand, as if that explained exactly what 'everything' was.

"Well, what'd you get for me?" Clary attempted to take the bag from him to find out what he had gotten for her, but it was too heavy for her to carry and she stumbled backwards. In one swift, graceful movement, Jace caught her and swung the copious bag onto the counter.

"Careful," he whispered in her ear, laying his hands on her hips and moving her body between his and the pink-crème counter, facing away from him. He ran the backs of his fingers over her cheek, igniting all of the nerves in their path, and rested his chin on the top of Clary's fiery tangles. He began absentmindedly moving the black plastic takeout boxes from the brown paper bag and into piles on the counter for each person in the Institute. "Alec," he addressed his step-brother, "Are the coconut pancakes yours too?" The words were neutral, but the tone of his voice held a meaningfulness that Clary didn't understand. But she knew Alec would understand it.

"You know I hate coconut," Alec answered immediately, and then frowned at Jace's tone. A flash of comprehension crossed his features, "We're going to Pandemonium today." He paused, choosing his next words carefully.

_What does he need to tell Jace that's so important?_ Clary wondered momentarily.

"Isabelle and I agree that it's time Clary came with us."

* * *

Jace froze, suddenly unable to breathe. Clary? Go demon hunting with them? His head involuntarily jerked towards Alec, his golden eyes latching onto Alec's pale blue ones. He wondered if his silent question of, _'are you crazy?'_ was visible to Alec. "No," He forced his voice to sound final with a steel edge, daring Alec to disagree. He saw on his step-brother's face that his tone had hurt, but he didn't care. Clary absolutely _could not _go with them. It wasn't safe or easy for them, even after years of training, and to have Clary out there after barely a few months of training… He couldn't protect her the way he could when he knew she was safe in the Institute.

Alec opened his mouth to reply, but it was Clary who contradicted him. She spun around in front of him and shoved him backwards into the kitchen cabinets behind them, fury igniting her emerald eyes. Jace hadn't expected that she would do that, and his shoulder hurt where the edge of the cabinet dug into his back.

"Jace!" Clary exclaimed, "How can you say that? I've been training for months!" She shook her head, taking a deep breath and allowing the flames in her eyes to die down into disappointment. "It's not like you won't be there if I can't handle things," she added, with less force.

"I don't care," Jace ignored the throbbing pain in his shoulder blade, trying to sound final. But he couldn't deny her forever. Didn't she know how convincing she could be? Those green eyes, and the way she bit her lip to keep herself from shouting at him… "You aren't coming with us," Jace was trying to convince himself as much as her, but he was breaking down under her unrelenting emerald eyes. "I know you've been training, but you're not ready yet," he forced the words into gentleness, knowing full well that in a minute or two he might not be able to disagree with her.

She glared at him. "In your eyes, I'll never be ready!" she snapped, on the verge of smacking him. A sadder light replaced the angry gleam in her eyes, "You know I love you Jace, and I understand why you feel like you need to protect me. But you can't keep me from being who I am forever."

Those were the words that finally overpowered his sense of judgment. _'I love you.'_ He chewed on his bottom lip, trying to form a sentence, but the way she could stare right into his soul was so distracting. Did she even know what she was doing to him? "Fine," he mumbled unwillingly, unable to force his gaze away from hers. "But you won't be fighting unless it's absolutely necessary. This will be for observational purposes only," he told her, watching as her expression softened.

Jace gave her a tense half-smile and held out his arms to her despite the cramping in his shoulder, shifting positions so that when Clary leaned her tiny body into his it didn't drive the sore muscle back into the edge of the cabinet.

"Thank you, Jace," Clary allowed him to envelope her in a gentle hug. "I'm sorry I pushed you," Clary mumbled into Jace's t-shirt. Her arms wrapped around his torso, her delicate fingers massaging the muscle around his shoulder blade in a silent apology. "I'll be safe," she promised.

"That's good," Alec interrupted, impatient. "Because we're leaving in about two hours."

Jace glared at him, clutching Clary's body tighter against his chest. "Fine. We'll be ready." O_nly two hours?_ That wasn't enough time to prepare Clary, to get her situated with the proper weapons, to review everything he had taught her in the last few months. Only the determined look on Clary's face as she glanced up at him, gauging his response; expecting to be ordered not to go with them, that kept Jace from arguing with either her or Alec right then. He would have a long chat with his step-brother later about springing this idea on his with so little notice, _in front of Clary_.

Jace glared at Alec's back as the black-haired boy left the kitchen after grabbing a stack of take-out boxes and dialing the number of whoever he had previously been on the phone with.

Clary's emerald eyes pierced Jace's, disbelieving. "So, you're really going to let me go with you?" Unconsciously, her thin fingers gripped the cotton fabric of his t-shirt.

Jace let out a breath he hadn't realized he had been holding in. "Yes," he admitted, twining his own calloused fingers into Clary's red curls, "Let's go get ready. What weapon do you want besides a Seraph blade?"

"Um," creases formed between her eyebrows as she frowned, thinking. She looked so cute when she did that, Jace wanted to be kissing her, but he waited for her to answer his question. "Maybe just a couple daggers. I'm not very good with a whip, like Izzy. And I couldn't shoot an arrow straight to save the world. What do you - "

Jace leaned his head down and pressed his lips against her soft mouth. A wave of heat washed over him, and he had to struggle to keep his embrace soft.

Daggers. He could find her the best pair of daggers out there. He just didn't want to think about that right at that moment.

Jace barely held back a shiver when Clary's warm lips parted under his, and he breathed her in, relishing the sweet taste of her. Clary's fingers traveled from Jace's back to his chest, using him to balance as she rose up on her tip-toes and deepened their kiss. When Jace let one of his hands fall from her hair to the small of her back, pressing her body closer to his and steadying her, Clary moved her hands again to lace her fingers together in the soft golden curls at the nape of his neck.

Jace wanted to pull her closer, but he restrained himself, knowing that if things went any farther they wouldn't be able to leave the kitchen and Clary would be mad at _him_ for distracting her and preventing her from leaving for Pandemonium with Alec and Isabelle. He leaned back just enough that her lips couldn't reach his any longer. "I love you, Clary," he whispered.

Clary closed her eyes and laid her forehead on Jace's bare skin, where his neck met his shoulder. The warmth from her skin flowed into Jace's body, but he only let his hands gently trace shapes on her back as a reaction. "I love you too, Jace," Clary whispered, her breath flowing over his skin.

* * *

Clary still loved the Shadowhunter gear Amatis had given her now as much as she had when she had first found in the trunk at the foot of Amatis's guest bed. But, she couldn't wear it to Pandemonium. The obvious Shadowhunter gear would alert all of the demons there of their presence.

So, instead, Isabelle had found one of her own old dresses for Clary to borrow. It was a dark shade of green that matched Clary's eyes almost perfectly, and ruffled in a way that gave Clary more curves than she really had. The sleeves were arm length, but had slits in the shoulders so that the top half of the sleeve hung open but hid her skin from the elbow down, where her Marks were. The back of the dress was cut in a low U shape, but the bare skin there was mostly covered by Clary's hair. She decided just to leave it down, mostly because she knew Jace liked it that way.

Jace. Just the thought of his name sent shivers up her spine.

Jace had situated her with a Seraph blade and a set of blue-hilted daggers, along with her mother's stele, just in case she needed to defend herself. She had the Seraph blade concealed in the front of her dress, and the two daggers in matching thigh-sheaths. Her stele she still held in front of her as she gazed at herself in the mirror. She didn't look... normal. She looked like Isabelle might have a few years ago, only with red hair. The whole outfit made her look about three years older, and the Marks on her made her realize, for the first time in a long while, that she truly was a Shadowhunter now. No traces of her mundane past lingered in her features. Now, she was strong and graceful, and much more athletic, like the Lightwoods.

She looked like her mother, Clary realized with a jolt. Only, she was a smaller, less commanding version of her mother.

There was a light tap on her closed bathroom door. "Clary?" Jace called, "Are you ready?"

"Yes." Her voice shook, even though she felt perfectly calm.

"Can I come in?" Clary had never heard Jace sound so unsure before. Usually when he wanted to her just barged right into her room whether he wanted her to or not.

"Of course you can," Clary turned around to open the door for him, but he was already in the bathroom.

Jace reached for her and took her free hand, smoothing his thumb over her pale knuckles. "Do you want me to Mark you?" He raised his head, his tawny eyes holding an emotion somewhere between fear and determination. Jace's fingers laced with hers in an almost death grip, and Clary felt all of the pain he was feeling, and all of the antagonism he felt towards her even being within a mile of Pandemonium.

She only had to nod before Jace took her other hand, and her mother's stele, and pushed up the long sleeve of her dress. He traced a rune on the inside of Clary's wrist, lifting her arm to kiss the area as the sting from the stele faded. Then he lifted the sleeve of her other wrist and traced two runes, one on the back of her hand and the other on the inside of her other wrist. He didn't explain what they were, but Clary could guess.

"You're not the bait," Jace's words were soft, but they hurt. He didn't want her there. "You know that, right?" He looked up at her, letting his fingers trace up her arm to her bare shoulder, and then to her neck. His touch left a trail of goosebumps and tingling nerves in their path, and Clary wanted to lean into him and sigh. But she didn't.

"I know."

"So why the outfit?" Jace cupped her cheek, leaning closer to her. Their lips brushed, and Clary couldn't think momentarily.

"Isabelle," she mumbled, closing the space between their lips as the electricity between them became too much for her to handle.

* * *

**A/N:** I don't really like how this chapter turned out. It was just... boring. And really long. Maybe you guys didn't think so?

Next chapter will be the demon hunting, and definitely more fluff :) And more of Magnus, too.

You know, if you guys give me at least ten reviews, there might be a bit of Jace in just his boxers in the next chapter to make up for the boring-ness of this chapter ;D

xoxo,

Jace's Angel

(P.S. Please read the other story I posted today! It's called She Will Be Loved, and it's just as angsty as Delicate) ;D


	5. Chapter 5

**A/N:** I give up. I've been waiting for my ten more reviews, but I only got seven on the last chapter. :( However, the boxer scene in still here, because I couldn't _bear_ to get rid of it after I wrote it, but I did shorten it up a bit.

Anyways, this chapter is _way_ better than the last one. I hope you like it!

Reviews make me feel all fluffy inside, and then I can write good fluffy scenes. So, please review!

* * *

Clary rolled to the side, her heart pounding so impossibly fast she thought it might escape her chest. The demon turned on her, snarling, its body spiraling out of the pink-haired, red-eyed human form and morphing into its true form. A fanged bull with a man's body towered over her, striking out at her with decaying, clawed hands. Clary managed to dodge each swipe, and she yanked one of her Seraph blades out of its sheath. She named it, and a flash of golden Angel light erupted in front of her. The demon retreated only for a moment before it turned on Jace.

Jace had his own Seraph blades held in front of him, one in each hand. He swung the blades in a circular motion, slicing at the demon's hide as the monster advanced on him. He moved with a grace and precision that Clary knew she could never acquire.

Clary followed Jace as he cornered the demon against the outside wall of Pandemonium, where the demon had first jumped them. Jace had already gotten one of his Seraph blades lodged in the demon's ribcage, but the snarling monster wasn't anywhere close to dead. "Clary!" Jace shouted, "Stay where you are!" He blocked another swiping claw, but couldn't manage to get a blow in edgewise.

The demon turned on Clary, negating Jace's order as she jumped to the side and thrust her own blade into the demon's side. The creature roared, swinging a claw in her direction. A shining blade lodged itself in the demon's eye, and it let out a pained snarl, staggering backwards and again taking a swipe at the two Shadowhunters. Jace tackled Clary out of the demon's path, and held his arm between Clary and the demon, reaching for Clary's second Seraph blade with his other hand. In its fit of blind rage, the demon managed to catch Jace with one of its thorn-like claws, and a large bloody gash opened across Jace's forearm.

Jace groaned in pain, but still brushed his free hand over Clary's thigh to reach for her second blade.

But Clary was there faster. She had the blade in her hand in seconds, and had pushed Jace off of her in another moment. The demon was still swinging blindly at them, in search of the blood it smelled. Clary felt as if time had slowed, and each second lasted an hour. The demon's claw was a foot away from her. She caught it's wrist with her blade, and the demon's entire left hand fell to the ground in a writhing, seizing mass. The demon roared, turning the full brunt of its anger on her. Clary could hear Jace shouting at her, but she ignored him.

Clary ducked blow after blow, catching the demon a few times in the moments when its blind side was turned to her. She waited until the perfect moment arrived. In seconds, her Seraph blade was between her and the demon, and then the demon was writhing on the ground under her as she drove the blade farther into the screeching monsters chest. She watched, still not fully comprehending what she had done, as the demon dissolved, folding in on itself until it was nothing more than dust.

Clary turned back to Jace, who was still sitting where she had pushed him, a mixture of awe and anger on his face. Clary caught sight of his arm, which was still openly bleeding, and the slow motion around her sped back up into real time. Her thoughts of the demon were buried under her worry for Jace.

Clary knelt at his side, already reaching for the bundle of bandages Jace kept in the weapons belt he had concealed under his blue button-up shirt. Jace let her begin wrapping the white cloth over the gash in his arm, barely wincing even when Clary knew she was being clumsier than she should have.

"Do you have any idea how _stupid_ that was?" Jace asked her, barely maintaining the calm in his tone.

Clary tied the ends of the bandage and traced an _iratze_ on a bare portion of his skin. "We should go find Alec," she told Jace, ignoring his previous question. "I think the demon might have gotten some poison in your arm when it scratched you. Magnus should look at it." She fiddled with Jace's sleeve, meaning to pull it down over his bandaged arm, but Jace gripped her wrist, causing her to look up at him.

Jace's golden eyes were a mix of fear and anger… and pride. He was proud of her.

"I told you to stay where you were," his tone was still even, but Jace's tight hold on her wrist told Clary exactly how afraid he had been of losing her.

"If I had listened to you, we would both be dead." Clary laid her free hand on Jace's cheek, and he closed his eyes and leaned into her touch.

"I know," he whispered. "But that doesn't mean I have to like it. Do you have any idea what it did to me to watch you risk your life like that?"

"Yes," Clary told him. "I know exactly how you felt. How do you think _I_ feel when _you're_ out there? But I trust you to be able to handle yourself, and I live with the fact that this is what we do." Clary freed her wrist from Jace's grip and held her arms out to him. Jace slumped forwards into her embrace, clutching her so tightly it hurt.

"Let's go," he said softly, releasing her unwillingly. "My arm is burning."

Clary helped him stand, surprised that her would admit that he was in pain. For Jace, telling someone that he was in pain equaled telling them that he had just run across New York City in a Speedo; it just didn't happen. But, Clary realized, between the two of them, it meant that Jace trusted her.

* * *

They walked back into pandemonium in comfortable silence, searching for a glimpse of Alec or Isabelle. The two Lightwood siblings had gone inside Pandemonium before Jace and Clary had, to follow an orange-haired demon boy that had passed the club bouncer. None of them had known there would be a second demon outside the club.

"Ah-ha!" an exorbitant male voice exclaimed behind them as Jace and Clary stood in one of the back corners of the all-ages club.

Jace moved between Clary and the source of the call, already reaching for one of the Seraph blades he had retrieved from the disintegrated demon.

"Relax, boy," Magnus appeared in front of them, seemingly out of nowhere. "I knew I would find you here. Is Alec with you? We need to discuss…" the warlock trailed off, having glanced at Jace's bandaged arm. "What happened to _you_?" Magnus questioned, raising a perfectly waxed eyebrow.

"It's nothing – " Jace started.

"A demon scratched him back in the alley," Clary informed Magnus. "Could you look at it? I think he might've gotten some of the poison in his system."

Jace scowled, and the warlock shrugged. "Sure, I'll look. But you'll have to help me find Alec afterwards."

Clary agreed, and Jace held out his arm for Magnus to inspect.

"You are correct," Magnus addressed Clary after he had removed the bandaged from around Jace's forearm, completely ignoring Jace himself. "There is some demon poising in his system." Clary stiffened, her breath caught in her throat. "But not enough to be fatal." She let out a relieved sigh. "Shall I purge it now, or would you like to wait for him to throw it all up in a few hours?"

"I'll be fine – " Jace tried to pull his arm back, only to have the warlock's long, manicured fingers hold him in place.

"Now please," Clary squeezed Jace's other hand with her own, silently telling him to shut up and let her do the talking.

Again Magnus shrugged. The warlock mumbled a few words in a language Jace didn't understand and a blue glow surrounded his arm. The ends of Magnus's purple spiked hair seemed to stand farther on end for a second, and the warlock's grip on Jace's arm relaxed. "There," he let go of Jace's arm, where only a thin raised scar remained across the length of his forearm. "Now, I do expect you will keep your promise to help me find Alec."

"Absolutely," Clary looked relieved at the sight of Jace's arm no longer gushing blood.

"What about me?" The dark-haired Lightwood boy himself appeared behind them, with Isabelle close at his heels.

* * *

Clary stepped out of the steamy shower, shivering at the cool touch of the bathroom air against her bare skin. The fluffy white towel she dried off with helped to warm her up some.

Clary realized that the only clothes she had brought into the bathroom to change into were a blue pair of boyshort underwear and a thin, grey, v-neck sweater. She couldn't remember what she had done with her favorite pair of pajama shorts. Clary dressed quickly, and was still brushing the knots out of her red frizzy curls when she stepped out of the bathroom.

Clary dropped her hairbrush and gasped in utter surprise at what she saw in her room.

Jace sat leaning against the headboard of her bed, his arms crossed behind his head, _in only a pair of black boxers_. Clary took in a quick breath at the perfection of his muscles, the way the light from the lamp in the corner caught all of the scars lining his skin, and the natural highlights in his golden hair.

Jace looked up at Clary, a cocky grin spreading across his face. "I think that might be the first normal reaction I've ever gotten from you to my irresistible sexiness," he informed her. He waggled his eyebrows at her, and tilted his head in a 'come hither' motion.

Clary couldn't help it; she giggled.

And Jace's expression of pure shock only made her giggle again. She shook her head at him as she walked to the bed. "After everything that happened today, and now you're here thinking you should just show up in my room in only _boxers_, expecting to do who knows what…" Clary climbed on top of him, straddling his hips. "You _are_ irresistible," she told him, just to see what his reaction was. "How does your arm feel?"

Jace looked smug, and still a bit surprised. He ignored her question about his arm. "I didn't _show up _in just boxers," he nodded towards the corner of Clary's room, by the door, where Clary saw the rest of his clothes were piled in an orderly stack. "That would've looked slightly suspicious to Maryse. And anyways," Jace moved his hands from their casual position behind his head to rest on Clary's narrow hips. "I was expecting to do more than just 'who-knows-what,' if you know what I mean."

Clary giggled again, leaning in to kiss him lightly, splaying her fingers out over his abs. She hadn't been lying. He _was_ irresistible. And incredibly sexy. She felt a sudden burst of confidence, like she had never felt in front of Jace before. "No, I don't know what you mean. Care to demonstrate?"

"Well, for starters," Jace's breathing was a little less even, and his fingers dug into Clary's hips just a little harder, "You are wearing _far_ too many clothes."

* * *

**A/N:** Well, I'll just leave you to imagine what happens next. ;D

This wasn't actually how I meant to end this chapter, but I like it anyways, so Chapter 6 will start with what happens at dinner. *hint, hint* ;)

Reviews are love! The more I get, the more you get of Jace's boxers! :D

xoxo,

Jace's Angel


	6. Chapter 6

**A/N:** Wow, I'm _so _sorry it's taken me over two weeks to post this! My computer's been struggling under all sorts of technical difficulties lately. :"( But the good news is that my new laptop will be arriving sometime next week, so I'll be able to post possibly twice as often as I have been! :D

And thank you guys so much for the amazing reviews on the last chapter! I got more than twenty! :D

So, for this chapter I sort of felt like I should switch back to some angsty stuff after the fluff ending of the last chapter. Hope you like!

* * *

Jace held Clary's hand under the table, absentmindedly massaging his thumb in small circles over her knuckles.

Maryse had made homemade dinner about an hour ago. She usually insisted that everyone in the Institute sit down and eat a family dinner together, but the Lightwood 'family' dinners had never been the same since Max had died. Tonight was no different. Robert had made up an excuse about needing to catch up on some diplomatic matters, and Alec had excused himself on the basis of needing some extra private training. That left Isabelle, Jace, Clary, and Maryse to finish their meals in a tense, uncomfortable silence.

Clary's stomach had started churning; doing flip-flops in her gut so frequently she thought she might throw up. She wasn't sure if the wrenching feeling came from the breaded something-or-another she was eating, or the sense of nervous apprehension she was feeling towards the tension that hung over the table, thick enough to slice through with a knife. But Clary didn't want to further upset Maryse by excusing herself from the table as well and refusing the home-cooked food.

Isabelle coughed softly. "This is . . . really good, mom," she said quietly, staring down at the red tablecloth in front of her. The silence always affected Isabelle the most, but she dutifully sat through every family dinner Maryse prepared. "What's in it?"

Clary's stomach clenched, to a point where she almost moaned in pain. She kept her grip on Jace's hand loose, but she set down the fork she held in her other hand and reached for her glass of water, hoping that the liquid would somewhat calm her stomach. But the cold water only served to intensify the clenching in her gut.

"It's a dish I used to make for Sunday dinners when you were younger," Maryse was saying. "Breaded, fried - " Clary never heard what the food was.

"Excuse me," Clary choked out in Maryse's direction before running for the bathroom.

"Clary!" Jace called after her, close at her heels.

She leaned over the seat of the toilet in the bathroom across the hall from the kitchens and threw up everything she had just eaten. Her throat burned, and her stomach felt horrible.

And then Jace was kneeling behind her, rubbing her back and holding her hair out of her face. After the spasming in her stomach started to recede, Clary felt a little embarrassed knowing that this was the second night in a row that Jace was watching her puke her guts up.

"Oysters," Jace mumbled behind her, "Maryse made fried oysters for dinner." Jace pressed short, gentle kisses on Clary's bare shoulders. "She must not have heard about last night," he said against her skin.

Clary coughed a few times and reached for a towel to wipe her face with. Only a slight churning feeling in her stomach remained, but it wasn't enough for her to think that she might throw up again. "That wasn't as bad as last night," She turned around, and Jace wrapped his arms around her. "I didn't eat as much. I'll be okay."

"Good," Jace whispered into her hair. "Because you promised you wouldn't get sick again. I'm still holding you to that."

Clary smiled and leaned into his chest, wincing when she moved. Stabbing pains still shot through her stomach every once in a while, but she still didn't think she would throw up again.

* * *

Jace didn't know what to think. Clary might or might not be getting sick again, and he had absolutely no idea what to do if she did. He remembered the flash of pure panic he had felt when she ran out of the dining room, and then the barrage of memories that had hit him when he saw her leaning over the toilet seat. Now she was shivering in his arms, looking pale and exhausted, but not like she was about to get sick like she had last night.

He shuddered under the weight of his memories of last night. How Clary had whimpered and clung to him in pain. How she had slipped in and out of consciousness, her skin burning against his.

She told him this time wasn't as bad, and he thought he believed her, he _wanted_ to believe her, but he couldn't shake the feeling of dread hanging over them.

"Can you walk?" Jace asked her, wanting to get her to bed in case anything did happen.

"Yeah, I think so," Clary used his arm as leverage to stand up, but Jace stopped her before she could leave the bathroom.

"Wait," he ordered. "Clary, are you sure you're alright?" He laid his hand on her cheek.

"Yes," Clary's voice shook, enough to set off another pang of worry in Jace's mind. "I just want to go lay down." She looked up at him, her expression a mixture of exhaustion and trust.

"Okay," Jace felt a sudden need to scoop her up in his arms and cradle her like a baby. And he did. Clary gave a surprised little gasp as he swept her up, bridal-style, off her feet. She relaxed after a moment, not even bothering to question his action. She leaned her head against his shoulder and closed her eyes, and Jace saw how tired she really was. Clary's arms snaked around his neck, and she held on to him with enough force that he could tell her stomach was hurting again. He murmured comforting words to her as he left the bathroom, taking long strides down the white hallway to his bedroom.

Isabelle was waiting at his door. "Jace!" She stopped him, "Mom wanted me to say she was sorry, and she didn't know that Clary was allergic, and she'll call Jocelyn to come back from Luke's if Clary – " Isabelle finally noticed that Clary was barely conscious and Jace was carrying her, and she cut herself off, her dark eyes widening in surprise. She pushed Jace's bedroom door open for him and stepped out of the way. "Do you want mom to call Jocelyn? I think she can be here in maybe ten minutes," Isabelle looked worriedly at Clary, who was still limp in Jace's arms.

"No, Clary will be fine after she rests. You can go get her a glass of water, and tell mom not to worry," Jace spoke calmly, even though waves of panic were still washing over him. He laid Clary's tiny form on his bed and pulled a plain blue blanket over her. He _knew_ she would be fine, he _knew_ that she wouldn't end up feverish and crying out in her sleep, but flashes of images from last night kept running through Jace's head and making him wince in fear, even though he _knew_ that wouldn't happen again.

Isabelle silently left the room, closing the maple wood door behind her.

A few moments after the handle clicked shut, Clary's eyes fluttered open. "Jace?" She reached for his hand, and Jace gently laced his fingers with hers. Clary rolled over on to her side and looked up at him, "Could I have some water? My mouth feels all yucky."

She made a face that matched her words, and Jace let out a short laugh. He kneeled next to the bed and rested his elbows on the blanket in front of her, all of his previous fear of her being sick disappearing. "Isabelle went to get a glass for you. She'll be back in a few minutes," Jace told her, reaching his free hand out to brush a stray lock of red hair out of her face. "How's your stomach?"

"Better," Clary smiled at him, and Jace couldn't help smiling back. Then Clary edged backwards on the bed and motioned for Jace to lie next to her.

Jace lay down in the space she made for him, curling his body around hers. Clary tucked her arms between them and looked up at him again, her green eyes questioning. Jace knew what she wanted. He bent forwards and pressed his lips to hers tenderly, carefully. The electricity he always felt when he touched her was there, but it was muted. After a moment he pulled back enough so that he could speak against her lips. "Now, what is Isabelle going to think when she walks in?" Jace asked, grinning down at Clary.

She giggled, "She's going to think that you must love me a whole bunch to be kissing me when I probably taste like puke."

"I do love you," Jace told her, his smile widening, "And don't worry – you don't taste _too_ bad." He laughed when Clary's expression turned apologizing. "I was kidding," he said teasingly, leaning down to kiss her again.

Right as their lips met, the bedroom door swung open. "Oh, jeez, you two!" Isabelle exclaimed. "You know, the least you could do is put a locking rune on the door so I don't walk in on something." She sighed, "And, Clary, I brought you some water." She held up a tall, clear glass filled almost to the top.

"Thanks, Izzy." Clary sat up, resting her arm on Jace's chest so that she could lean over his body to reach the glass. She drank about half of the liquid before setting the glass down on the table beside Jace's bed.

"You're welcome," Isabelle raised an eyebrow in Jace's direction. "Do you need to borrow my stele?" She asked, "Because I really don't feel like hearing what I heard earlier today again."

* * *

**A/N: **Cliffhanger! Is Isabelle going to be mad at them for not putting a silencing rune on the door? Don't worry though – I will have the next chapter up ASAP, so you won't have to wait another two weeks for what happens next! ;)

Since I'm going to have a lot more free time on my hands and a lot less trouble with my computer, I'll start replying to Reviews more often. So if you have any comments, recommendations, or questions, ask away! :)

_And remember: _The more reviews _I_ get, the more of Jace in his boxers _you_ get in the next chapter. I know, I totally need to make up for not posting for two weeks, and I absolutely will! ;D

Also, I was thinking that I might post a couple of stories I wrote a while ago for Maximum Ride. For those of you who have read the series: Good idea, or not? It's mostly angsty fluff between Fang and Max, with a little action mixed in.

xoxo,

Jace's Angel


	7. Chapter 7

**A/N:** Two posts in two days! You guys should be proud of me! I spent all last night and this afternoon writing, and I'm exhausted. But I like the way the chapter ended. :) The beginning was kind of boring though, probably because I wrote it in the middle of the night. ;P Jace feels a little out of character in this chapter, but maybe it's just me. Tell me what you think?

*Fluff warning* There is a whole big long scene of Jace in just his smexy black boxers at the end, and plenty of fluffy stuff. I think I totally made up for not posting for two weeks. ;D

(The part in all italics is a flashback.)

* * *

"That certainly went well." Jace pulled Clary into his lap, a little miffed at his sister for walking out and leaving Clary staring at the floor with a pink blush covering her cheeks, and Jace to deal with the aftermath of her anxiety.

"Mmhm," Clary mumbled, chewing on her lip.

_Isabelle raised an eyebrow in Jace's direction. "Do you need to borrow my stele?" She asked, "Because I really don't feel like hearing what I heard earlier today again."_

_"You heard that?" Clary asked, the pink blush creeping over her cheeks. She stared down at the floor, ignoring Isabelle's eyes._

_"Well," Isabelle coughed, suddenly looking like she wished she hadn't brought it up. "Yeah, I did." Jace figured his sister would have been happier to be yelling at him, rather than embarrassing her best friend._

_"Oh," Clary whispered. She bit her lip, her blush spreading from her cheeks down across neck._

_"Um, so… yeah." Isabelle looked at the door, suddenly just as embarrassed as Clary was._

_"It's not like I haven't caught you before," Jace grinned at Isabelle, hoping to lighten the mood with something sarcastic that would turn Isabelle back into her normal energetic self. Jace would never admit to either girl, but he really hated awkward situations like these._

_"Ugh!" Isabelle turned on him, an annoyed gleam in her eyes. "You're such an ass, Jace. I'm leaving!" She spun around and made to yank the door open, but she turned around right as Jace's door hit the wall with a bang. "Sorry, Clary, about you getting sick," she added, in a softer tone. And then she walked out, slamming the door behind her._

_"Do you think she's mad at us, or just weirded out?" Clary asked._

_Jace pressed a quick kiss to her temple. "I doubt it's either. She's not really upset with you; she's just using this as a way to yell at me."_

_"Oh," Clary was quiet again. Jace sighed inwardly, hating the awkwardness that was settling between them. Damn Isabelle._

"But," he flipped her over, so that he was on his hands and knees over her on his bed. "Who says it's not going to happen again?" He leaned in and kissed her, reveling in the electricity that crackled almost immediately between them.

"Jace!" Clary exclaimed against his mouth, her hands rising up between them to push his chest away from her. "That can't happen again! What if it had been Maryse instead if Isabelle that had walked by?"

Jace grinned at her, "Well, then we'd be in a heck of a lot of trouble wouldn't we?" He gave up on kissing her, and instead pressed his lips to her neck, nibbling where he knew she would like it.

"Jace," Clary unsuccesfully tried to push him away again. "How can you not care?" She took his face in her hands and forced him to look at her. "You seriously don't even care that your sister – my best friend – heard us… you know…?"

"I care," Jace frowned at her, wishing she wouldn't dwell on it. Isabelle had accidentally caught him with other girls before, and she had never gotten overly worked up about it. "But this isn't the first time Izzy's heard… stuff like that, and she'll get over it. And it wasn't even the first time we've been together either, so I don't know why you're so freaked out." Jace winced when Clary blushed at his words. He hadn't meant to be so blunt, but it was the truth.

Clary sighed. "Fine. Be that way." She sighed again and leaned her head back against a pillow, staring up at the ceiling.

Jace leaned in and brushed his lips across the bare skin above the collar of her t-shirt. "I'll go take a shower now," he told her. "You better not be so out of it when I get back. I'm going to make up for Maryse feeding you oysters again." He winked, and she let out a soft giggle, her body quivering under his.

Jace adjusted himself carefully so that he wouldn't bump Clary when he got off the bed. He walked into the bathroom that was connected to his room, and with one last backwards look at the girl he loved, he closed the maple wood door between them.

* * *

Clary lay on Jace's bed, staring up at the white ceiling. She was still blushing at the fact that Isabelle had heard them earlier that day. Being with Jace was… the most amazing feeling in the world, and Clary loved him, and she always would. But having Isabelle hear them… and it was only the third time they had been together. Clary couldn't believe that Jace thought nothing of it.

She faintly heard the water running in the shower. Jace would be out in a few minutes.

Jace. God, even his name still sent shivers up Clary's spine. Even though she was annoyed with him for blowing off the Isabelle incident, she still loved him. She still wanted him, more than anything.

Clary swung her legs over the edge of the bed, making her way to Jace's dresser to grab his stele. She traced a locking rune in the wood of the bedroom door, and then a silencing rune. Whatever Jace had meant by 'making up for Maryse feeding her oysters,' Clary figured it would be something similar to what had happened between them before. And shame on them both if they forgot the Runes again. Clary blushed at the thought of Maryse walking in on them.

Or her mother. Clary shuddered. But why would her mother even be at the Institute in the middle of the night today? She had left in the morning for Luke's bookstore.

Clary sat back on the bed, leaning against the headboard with her legs crossed in front of her, to wait for Jace.

* * *

The bathroom door clicked open, and Jace stood before her in only a pair of black boxers. Clary gasped at the perfection of his toned muscles, and the way his still-dripping hair stuck to his face. Even though she had seen him this way before, she couldn't help her amazement at how _beautiful_ he was.

He grinned at her expression. "Liking what you see?" He chuckled, climbing on top of her on the bed.

Clary giggled running her hand through his hair, mostly to keep the water from dripping on her. "Most definitely. Now, what is it you're planning on doing to me?" She didn't know why, but her confidence always rose when she was in front of him. It was something about Jace; he made her feel… like she could do anything in front of him, and he wouldn't judge, and he would always love her no matter what. Clary smiled at the thought.

"Well, don't you look happy," Jace leaned in a pressed his lips to hers, ignoring her question. Clary tightened her grip on his golden curls, pulling his face closer to hers. There was a spark between them that only intensified as the kiss deepened. Jace hands traveled up her arms, one hand moving to cup the back of her neck, and the other slipping around her body to the small of her back. Jace lifted her off of the bed, every line of their bodies pressed together. Clary hooked her knees around Jace's hips, forcing them closer still.

Jace pulled away for barely a moment, moving his lips across Clary's jaw and down her neck. Clary shivered, but not because of the cold air around them.

"I was," Jace spoke between each kiss he brushed across her skin, "going to take things a little slower this time. But I don't think I have enough self control for that right now." Clary felt him grinning against her neck.

She could help the short nervous laugh that escaped her lips. Jace was only joking, but god knew if Clary didn't feel the same way.

Slowly, Jace slid his hand from the back of her neck, down her side, and under the thin cotton of her t-shirt. She gasped at the feeling of his warm calloused skin against hers. Jace pulled Clary's shirt off over her head, and then his lips crashed down on hers again. The kiss was more heated than before, and Jace's mouth was more aggressive than Clary had been expected him to be. Jace traced his tongue over her bottom lip, and she opened her mouth under his. Jace knew what he wanted, and she wasn't going to stop him.

Clary's hands fell from Jace's honey hair, and she let her fingers wander across his chest, tracing over the scars and faded Runes there. His muscles rippled under her touch, as her hands traveled lower and lower. She reached the waistband of his boxers and pulled the elastic back and let go with a _snap._

Jace groaned and deepened their kiss. Clary couldn't breathe, let alone think straight. He pressed his hand back against her bare skin, his thumb tracing slowly over her ribs. His lips again moved away from her mouth, down her neck, and across her exposed collarbone, and then back up to her lips.

But he didn't kiss her. "So, have you completely forgotten about Maryse feeding you oysters today yet?" Jace asked, and Clary could tell that he was having trouble holding back from pressing his lips back to hers again. So was she.

Clary nodded, unable to speak. She only wanted the moment to continue. She laced her fingers back into the silky curls at the nape of Jace's neck and brought him closer to her. "Yes," her whisper was unsteady.

"Good." Jace half growled, his lips crashing back to hers.

* * *

**A/N:** Well, there you go. Fluffiness to the extreme. ;D

I seriously don't know where I'm going with this story. I had an idea for a while... and then I totally lost it. I was thinking there should be some issue that Jace and Clary get drawn into with the Shadowhunters, but I can't think of anything decently interesting. Ideas, anyone? I could use some help, and any ideas or plot twists you have in mind would be welcome. :)

The next chapter will hopefully be up sometime next week. I'll try not to keep you waiting so long again. ;)

xoxo,

Jace's Angel


	8. Chapter 8

**A/N:** I REMEMBERED MY PLOT! It took me a month, but I did it! I'm just so sorry it took so long!

But here it is, Chapter 8! There's a time-skip, so it starts out about a month after Chapter 7.

Enjoy! :D

* * *

The living room of the Institute was empty other than the blonde boy who sat leaning over a mahogany desk in the far corner. But he wasn't paying attention to the papers scattered before him, or the worn books lying open to dog-eared pages. The only thing he could think of was sleep. He hadn't slept in days, but as much as he wanted to lay his head down on the warm wood of the desk, he couldn't. He had to get to the bottom of this, and figure out how the hell someone who had been dead for almost a year could come back to life.

He heard a crackling noise behind him, and before he could turn around to investigate the sound something sharp hit him in the back of the head.

"Ow!" Jace touched the back of his head, wondering if whatever had hit him had broken skin. He turned and saw nothing in the dark room around him. "Alec?" He called, wondering if his foster brother was up to something, trying to get Jace out of the library for once. Jace took a step forwards, and a paper airplane crinkled under his bare foot. He bent own and picked it up, wondering if it was what had hit him, and where the crackling noise had come from.

The unfolded airplane held a note, written in tidy handwriting that Jace recognized but couldn't place.

_Demons are gathering around the Institute. Have Clary portal you out, and to my loft. I'll explain more later. –M_

Who was M? Jace thought for a moment, glancing around the room again. The old-fashioned fireplace in the corner opposite the desk caught his eye. Embers were glowing red, even though the fireplace hadn't been used in years. Jace strode across the library and kneeled next to the fireplace.

The scent that hit him told him everything he needed to know. Warlock magic. M was Magnus, although Jace was surprised by the means of communication. Magnus had never sent them demon warnings using fire before, but he had mentioned that it could be done.

_Demons are gathering around the Institute_. Jace strode back across the library to the one huge window across the back wall. He pulled back the heavy curtain a few inches, and saw that the area around the Institute was bare. But then he caught a flash of something in the distance, a black form that was traveling closer and closer at a rate Jace had never before seen a demon move. And he saw that the one demon was followed by many others. Magnus hadn't lied.

**

* * *

**

Jace burst into the kitchen, throwing the door open with such a force that it crashed against the wall. Clary gasped in surprise and stared up at him from her seat at the table. She hadn't seen him in days, ever since a recent Pandemonium routine sweep had landed them cornered in a storage closet. The demons had said only one thing, _"Valentine has returned."_ And then the group of black creatures had disappeared into thin air; something that Clary had never before seen happen other than when they were killed. Since then, Jace had been locked in the library researching how anyone could be killed by Raziel himself and come back to life. But now he looked stressed and a little panicked, gripping a single piece of paper in his hand as he took long strides across the kitchens to where Clary, Alec, and Isabelle were sitting around the table.

Jace threw the paper down on the middle of the table. "We have to leave the Institute. Demons are arriving in swarms, and we're surrounded. Clary, do you think you could portal us out?"

Clary looked up and as green met gold she knew that whatever Jace had found in the library was more than just a reason for Valentine to be alive again. She nodded to him as she reached across the table for the crinkled white piece of paper. As she held it up in front of her, the first thing she noticed was that the creases in the paper indicated that it had once been folded into a paper airplane. Clary's eyes skimmed over the note, "M is Magnus?" She asked, and Jace nodded stiffly.

"Magnus?" Alec reached across the table and snatched the paper from Clary's hands. He frowned as he read the note. "That's his handwriting. Jace, where did you get this?" Alec sounded miffed that his boyfriend would contact Jace first.

"He sent it through the fireplace in the library. We have to go _now_," Jace insisted. Clary could see how his muscles would tense and relax and tense again and he shifted his weight from one foot to another.

"Yes," Alec stood up, "Everybody gear up. Clary, get ready to portal us out of here."

Isabelle followed Alec and Jace to the weapons room without question, leaving Clary alone in the kitchen.

The seriousness of the situation hadn't really hit her yet. Clary knew that she should be following Jace to the weapons room too, but she couldn't help feeling abandoned. He had been ignoring her along with everyone else, even after her attempts to help him research and the times she had brought his meals to the library for him. At one point Jace had blatantly told her that he wanted to be alone, and he didn't need help. She had left him in the library and they hadn't spoken since. Clary had been angry with him for a while, but the feeling had worn off. Now, she didn't know what to think. She half-hoped this demon attack would bring them back to speaking terms again.

Clary stood and pushed back the white curtain over one of the kitchen's windows. She gasped at what she saw. Black figures had gathered in a half-circle around the Institute's entrance. She couldn't tell where one body ended and another one began, and she could practically feel the energy radiating off of the mass of demons. They were a breed she had never seen before, and that alone unnerved her more than Valentine coming back from the dead ever could.

**

* * *

**

Clary stood at the door of the weapons room, fully dressed in her Shadowhunter gear, with two Seraph blades in her belt along with the pair of daggers Jace had given her, and her stele. She didn't know if she should go in and learn what Alec's plan of action was, or stay out in the hall and avoid the awkward distance she knew would be between her and Jace.

She didn't have to wait to decide. Alec threw the door open and crashed into her as he stormed out of the weapons room. "Clary!" He grabbed her shoulders to steady her, and gave her apologetic smile, "Sorry. You ready to portal us out of here?" Clary wondered if it was the space growing between her and Jace that was bringing her closer to Alec. She had been a little confused at first when Alec had begun consulting her for battle strategies, asking about new Runes, and inviting her to get Taki's takeout with him and Magnus. But she really did enjoy that he wasn't ignoring her so much anymore.

Clary nodded, "Alec, have you seen the army of demons assembled out there?" She flinched internally as she remembered the heaving mass of dark shapes creating a barrier so intimidatingly impassible it felt as if the Institute were suffocating. She understood now why Jace had seemed so nervous in the kitchen; they were cornered and outnumbered, and who knew how long it would take for the demons to find a way inside the Institute.

Alec put a reassuring hand on her shoulder. "I did," he said softly, "And that's why you have to get us out of here."

"Yeah," Isabelle appeared behind her brother in the doorway of the weapons room, her gold whip curled neatly around her forearm. "I saw those things," she shivered, "God, that's just something you don't see every day. Any idea what breed of demons those are?"

Both Clary and Alec shook their heads and Isabelle shrugged.

"You guys ready to go?" Jace pushed his way past Isabelle and out of the weapons room. Clary wondered how he could carry all of the weapons he had stuffed into his belt. It had to be heavy, and yet Jace could move faster than any of them in battle. He had asked the question pointedly at Clary, but it was Alec that answered.

"Yeah, let's move out. Clary?" Alec nodded to her, and she stepped back and drew the rune she needed on the wall across from the weapons room. A swirling portal opened up where the rune burned into the wall, and Clary turned back to meet Alec's waiting eyes. "Alright, I'll go first. Izzy, follow me, and Clary and Jace after. Clary, you can close the portal as soon as Jace gets through." Alec stepped into the portal and was gone. Clary knew Magnus would be waiting for them on the other side, but she couldn't help the sudden wave of apprehension that washed over her. What if the demons out there had a way to prevent them from portaling? They were like nothing she had ever dealt with before, and maybe they could do things other demons couldn't.

Isabelle followed her brother through. Clary took a step to follow her, but Jace grabbed her arm and pulled her towards him. "Clary," he started, and Clary heard something in his voice that made her look up into his eyes. Green met gold for the second time, and Clary could see that all of the walls Jace had thrown up between them had been stripped away. "Clary, I'm sorry," he whispered. "I'm sorry I've been avoiding you. I was just… just – "

"It's okay," Clary cut him off, laying a hand on his shoulder, "I'm not mad at you. I was, but I'm not anymore. Valentine returning from the dead is a huge deal, and I understand why you did what you did." She gave him a small smile, and he visibly relaxed.

Only to tense back up again. "Alright. Let's get out of here." Clary turned to step through the portal, but Jace stopped her again. "Wait. Clary, I have a feeling that it won't be Magnus waiting for us on the other side. Stay close to me."

"I have the same feeling," Clary took his hand from her arm and briefly laced her fingers through his. "Let's go."

Jace nodded, and stepped in front of her and into the portal, already reaching for one of his Seraph blades.

**

* * *

**

Clary was met with the sounds of snarling, and Alec and Isabelle screaming orders to each other. Clary barely had time to name one of her Seraph blades before she was attacked. Jace was still standing between her and most of the oncoming demons, dodging and spinning with a grace Clary didn't know was possible. He kept the brunt of the demon horde away from her, but Clary was still fighting more of the shadowy black monsters than she thought she could handle.

"Why didn't we portal out of the Institute?" Jace shouted above the roar of the fight.

"I think it's something these demons can do!" Clary shouted back, spinning with dancing steps and cutting limbs off of various shaped demons as she ran until she and Jace were back-to-back. "They must have prevented my portal from getting us any farther out than the Institute grounds." She ducked as Jace swung his Seraph blade around over her head, and she stabbed at a demon about to attack him from behind. They switched places, and Clary hooked her arms around Jace's at the elbows so that he could lift her up to kick away the wall of demons beginning to surround them. Once Jace set her down, they each drew a second Seraph blade and felled the remaining creatures at twice the speed. It seemed as if they might be able to overpower the demon force.

There was a louder, wilder sound to their left. Clary pushed Jace out of the way as the most gruesome thing either of them had ever seen flew buy in a fury. To call it a demon was an understatement. The halo of darkness that surrounded its twisted, deformed body expanded out far enough that it touched Clary. She felt her body grow cold, and a feeling of fear overwhelm her. The demon lunged at them, its fanged mouth dripping venom. Jace jammed his blade upwards into the thing's throat as it loomed over them, about two feet taller than Jace. It screamed in pain, but swiped desperately at them with its talon-like claws. Jace wasn't fast enough to block the attacks. The demon slashed at him, and tore three gashes across his side. Jace let go of his blade and fell, groaning in pain. He still tried to push Clary out of the way as the demon's swipes became more frequent. Clary screamed, unable to force herself to move as the heaving black body came closer and closer. The demon's dark halo completely encompassed her body, and she felt more afraid than she ever had before in her life.

"_Valentine has returned," _it hissed in a low, rumbling tone, ichor dripping from its mouth, _"You will live to see the day he rules this earth."_ Then the demon swung a bloodied claw at her. Clary was still frozen in place, and the demon threw her against the outside wall of the Institute, slashing open her arm. She heard bones crack, and barely felt a dull throbbing pain across her body as her world turned black.

**

* * *

**

Jace couldn't figure out where he was. He couldn't get his eyes open; couldn't move. The only thing he remembered was Clary's scream, and a feeling of cold fear.

_Clary._ The memory was enough to get his eyes open, and Jace saw that he was lying in the grass outside of the Institute. The ground was covered with pools of Ichor and blood. Jace tried to sit up, but a sudden burning pain in his side overwhelmed him. He groaned and fell back down, clutching his side. His hand came away bloody, and that triggered Jace's memory of the demon invasion. He remembered the huge black _thing_ that had attacked them, and the pain, and Clary screaming. The last thing Jace remembered seeing was the demon throwing Clary against the wall of the Institute.

That thought alone made Jace forget about all of the pain he was in, and he was able to sit up, and then stand on shaky legs. His vision was blurry, but he could still make out the shape of Clary's body lying next to the wall. She was covered in blood.

Jace staggered towards her, barely able to walk, his head spinning. He made it about halfway before he keeled over in pain and landed on his knees. He tried to force himself to stand back up, to get to Clary and figure out if she was still alive. His vision blurred further, and he could hardly make out the shape of her body only eight feet away from him. Another spasm of burning pain shot through his side, and Jace fell forwards. He managed to catch himself, balancing his weight on his hands and knees. He crawled towards Clary, trying as best as he could to ignore the pain as he made his way to her. He reached her side, finally able to see that yes, she was breathing. But barely. Pure panic overcame him, and he collapsed over her, catching himself before the weight of his body landed on her arm. Three gashes cut diagonally from her shoulder to her elbow, and blood was pouring. Jace shrugged out of his Shadowhunter gear and pulled the t-shirt he had been wearing underneath off over his head. He ripped the grey fabric into strips and wrapped them around Clary's arm. "Clary?" His voice was barely above a whisper, "Clary, wake up. Please wake up." He ran the backs of his fingers over her cheek. He couldn't think anything beyond, _She can't die. Not now. Please, she can't die. _"Clary, please. You have to wake up. You have to breathe. Please, Clary. Please wake up." He slipped his hand under her neck, tilting her head back so she could get more air into her lungs. Jace ran his other hand over her body, checking for more wounds or broken bones. Her wounds could really be bad enough to kill her, could they?

Clary coughed few times, "Jace," she mumbled.

Jace leaned over her, holding his body up on one elbow. "I'm here, Clary. Wake up."

Her eyelids fluttered. "Jace," her eyes opened, and she blinked against the light. "Jace, what happened?" She looked pale and exhausted.

"There was an attack on the Institute," Jace hoped she hadn't lost her memory when she hit her head. "An army of demons. They stopped us from portaling out."

Clary frowned, "What about Alec and Isabelle?" She asked weakly. She tried to sit up, but Jace held her down.

"Don't move," he ordered. She would only hurt herself.

Alec and Isabelle. Jace didn't know where they were. He hadn't seen them since they stepped into the portal, and he didn't know what had happened after he passed out. "I don't know," Jace pushed Clary's bangs away from her forehead and saw that the blood that had plastered her hair to her skin was still dripping from a cut across the left side of her forehead. Clary winced and tried to move again, but Jace held her down. "Shh, don't move," Jace rolled up another strip from his t-shirt and pressed it over Clary's forehead.

"Jace," Clary's voice was weak, "You're bleeding." She reached up and laid a shaky hand on his arm.

Jace shrugged her hand off. "I'm fine, Clary. Don't worry about me." She reached for him again, but Jace shook his head, "I'll be fine, Clary, I promise. Just breathe." He had to figure out a way to get help. Whatever had attacked them had been powerful, and whatever poison it had gotten in their systems probably worked faster that regular demon poison. Jace was having trouble holding himself up, but he couldn't let himself collapse. Clary was in worse condition than him; Jace could feel that she was struggling for breath, and she couldn't keep her eyes open. Jace pressed his fingers to the pulse point at her neck. "Stay with me, Clary," Jace leaned down and gently pressed his lips to hers, "We'll get through this, I promise. Just stay with me." Waves of panic washed over him, one after another. He _had_ to find a way to get them out of there, maybe to Magnus, but at least somewhere far away from the Institute before the remainder of the demons decided to return.

Clary's eyes opened. She took a shaky breath, "Jace," she struggle to speak.

"No, Clary, shh," Jace slipped his hand back under her head, cradling her.

"No," She reached up and laid her hand on Jace's chest, "The demons – " she coughed, and Jace was afraid she would start coughing up blood. "Their gone," she whispered, "We can – " she stopped, coughing again.

"Don't try to talk," Jace ordered, adjusting her so that she was on her side. She coughed harder. "Clary – " Jace whispered, afraid. She couldn't die. Jace had heard about Nephilim who died from demon poisoning. They got weaker, too weak to breathe. It was painful. Clary was in pain, coughing so hard now that she was coughing up blood. And there was nothing Jace could do but hold her, and beg her not to die.

Clary's coughs died down. Her eyes fell closed, and her breath came in short gasps. "Jace," she mumbled, "Jace… portal… Amatis."

Amatis? What did she mean? Jace leaned over her, afraid she would stop breathing. Portal… She was right, there were no demons to stop them from getting out now. If they could get to Idris, they would be safe. The city of glass hadn't been fully rebuilt yet, and the new wards around Alicante hadn't been completed yet.

Jace reached for his stele, and realized that the demon must have torn his belt off when it sliced open his side. Clary still had her stele, though. Jace pulled the stele from Clary's belt and tried to keep his hand from shaking. He closed his eyes, trying to remember the Rune that Clary drew to open a portal. Portal. The word brought his memory of the Rune back, and he carefully traced the shape in the bloody grass below them.

The black swirling mass opened underneath them. Jace wrapped his arm around Clary's waist and rolled over and into the portal.

Jace visualized the kitchen in Amatis's house. The white tiles and cedar cabinets, and the rectangular table surrounded by windows in one corner.

He felt them being whisked away, but he didn't let go of Clary. He shifted so that he would land on his back with Clary's body on top of him.

Jace hit Amatis's tile floor and the breath was knocked out of him. Clary let out a small whimper.

Jace could hear a woman's voice shouting, but he couldn't make out the words.

The yelling stopped. Jace felt soft hands on his shoulders, and comforting voice was talking somewhere above him.

"Jace," he heard. _I know that voice…_ "Jace, look at me." Jace forced his eyes to focus. Amatis.

"Demon attack," he managed, "Institute. _Clary_."

"I heard about the attack," Amatis kneeled beside him. "Jace, can you get up?"

Jace nodded, and adjusted Clary in his arms so that Amatis could help him sit up. His side cramped and burned, but he didn't complain. Amatis had to heal Clary first. "Sorry 'bout the blood," Jace mumbled, struggling to stay conscious.

"It's fine," Amatis helped him stand on shaky legs, still cradling Clary's body in his arms. She guided Jace to the table and yanked the tablecloth off. "Lay her there," Amatis helped Jace lay Clary on the table, and then pulled a chair around to the head of the table for Jace to sit in. He leaned over and slipped his hand under Clary's head, and reached for her hand with his other. Amatis gave him a wad of bandages to press over his side, but Jace only used the outer layer of his black Shadowhunter gear to keep the white fabric in place.

Amatis stood on Clary's other side, having found a few more rolls of bandages and her stele. She touched Clary's bleeding arm, and Clary whimpered.

Her eyelids fluttered open. "Jace?" Her eyes searched for him, unable to focus.

Jace laced his fingers through hers, "I'm here, Clary." He pressed his lips to her forehead, away from the bandages.

"Amatis?" Clary closed her eyes.

"We made it," Jace laid his forehead against Clary's shoulder. "I portaled us here."

Amatis looked up at him, "_You_ made a portal?"

"With Clary's rune," Jace felt Clary squeeze his hand. He glanced up and met Amatis's gaze, question in his eyes.

"Clary will be fine," Amatis told him, beginning to wrap a white bandage around Clary's arm. "What about you? How's your side?"

"It's fine," Jace didn't want to tell her that it hurt so badly he could barely breathe. Clary had to be first priority.

Amatis nodded and focused on Clary again.

Jace tried to focus too. Clary was breathing fine now, whatever Amatis had done was working.

Pain shot through Jace's side. He let go of Clary's hand to grip the edge of the table, clutching his side with his other hand. He could vaguely hear Amatis saying something, but he couldn't understand the words. He tried to keep from moaning in pain, but the burning in his side was too much. Jace felt himself fall out of the chair and land on the tile floor, and his head hurt along with his side. And then he couldn't feel anything besides the sting of a stele against his arm.

**

* * *

**

White. That was all that Jace could see. It felt as if he was lying on a cloud. The pain in his side was gone.

"Jace?" He heard Amatis's voice somewhere to his left. "I know you're awake in there. Do you want breakfast?"

Jace turned his head, and the whiteness was gone. Amatis stood in an open doorway, a tray of pancakes balanced on one hand and a glass of milk in the other.

Jace hoisted himself up on his elbows, realizing that the white he was seeing was the walls of Amatis's guest room, and the tangled sheets around him. "Yeah. Where's Clary?" Jace remembered seeing her laying, unconscious, on Amatis's table. Panic threatened to overwhelm him, but Jace remembered that Clary had been breathing, and that Amatis had been able to heal her.

"Clary's upstairs, in her room. She already had breakfast." Amatis walked into the room and set the tray and the glass on the table next to the bed. "She was asking for you. I told her you were still resting."

"Thanks," Jace reached for the glass, "Can I go see her?" Amatis nodded, and Jace flung aside the sheets and swung his legs over the side of the bed. His side cramped as he stood, but it faded. Jace nodded to Amatis as he walked by, remembering where Clary's room in this house was. Walking up the stairs was more painful than Jace had expected, and he had to stop and lean on the railing every few steps to keep his side from cramping up.

Jace pushed open the second door to the left of the stairs, "Clary?" He asked quietly, in case she had gone back to sleep since eating.

He saw her, leaning against the headboard of the small bed under the window, sketching in a green notebook. She looked up at him, and a smile lit her face. "Hey," she answered, "You're up. Did Amatis bring you breakfast?"

Jace made his way across the room and sat on the bed by Clary's feet. She set the notebook on the little square table next to the bed. "You feel okay?" Jace reached over and touched her shoulder.

Clary laid her own hand on top of his. "I'm fine. What about you?" She laced her fingers through Jace's, and pulled his hand up to her cheek.

Jace scooted across the bed and pulled Clary into his arms. "Better, now that you're safe."

**

* * *

**

Clary rested her head on Jace's shoulder and traced her fingers over the faded scars on his arm. "Jace," she sighed. "I meant," Clary pressed her other hand to his side, over the bandages she could feel under his shirt, "Does your side hurt?"

Jace shook his head.

Clary wondered if he was lying, but she didn't think he would. After all, they were both safe now, away from the remaining demons – if there were any – and inside the Alicante.

Clary leaned into Jace's chest, letting the sound of his heart beating calm her. "Jace?" she asked, wanting to know if he knew what it was that had attacked them.

"Hmm?" He ran his fingers through her hair.

"What were those things? I've never seen demons like that before."

Jace tensed for a moment, and then relaxed and lowered his head so that their foreheads touched. "I don't know. They have something to do with Valentine, though."

Clary remembered the massage the demon had given them, about Valentine's return. But that didn't make sense to her. Valentine couldn't really have come back from the dead. But the demon attacks and the messages made it seem as if Valentine – or someone who had the same ideals as Valentine – was making another attempt at forming an army. "What if it isn't Valentine?" Clary tilted her head back to meet Jace's golden eyes, "What if it's someone else, using Valentine's name to scare us? It doesn't make sense – he couldn't really have come back from the dead."

Jace closed his eyes and tightened his arms around Clary's waist. "I don't know what's going on, Clary. I just don't know."

* * *

**A/N:** Good? I know Jace seems really Out Of Character, and he's being all obsessive and protective, but he's under a lot of stress right now. I mean, how would you feel if your father-turned-evil-maniac-turned-dead-turned-miraculously-not-dead was sending hordes of powerful demons after you and the love of your life? I know I'd be pretty freaked out. I think the next chapter will start out with Jace's POV of the last section of this chapter. And you'll find out what happened to Alec and Isabelle. ;)

Three guesses as to what happens next! ;D

Please review! You know how happy that makes me! More fluff next chapter if you do! :D

xoxo,

Jace's Angel


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